Ribbed pile

ABSTRACT

THIS LOW-COST, LIGHT-WEIGHT, HIGH-STRENGTH, HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL PILE HAVING LONGITUDINAL RIBS IS MANUFACTURED BY ROOLING AN ELONGATED METAL PLATE OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH SO AS TO PRODUCE SPACED RIDGES THEREON EXTENDING AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE BETWEEN LATERAL EDGES. THE RIDGED METAL PLATE IS SPIRALLY WOUND SO THAT THE RIDGES REGISTER TO PRODUCE LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING RIBS AND THE JUXTAPOSED LATERAL EDGES ARE JOINED, PERFERABLY BY WELDING, TO FORM A CONTINUOUS SPIRALED JOINT. WHEN DRIVEN INTO A PENETRABLE MEDIUM, THE RIBS PROVIDE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND MEANS FOR JOINING ADJACENT PILES INTO A UNITARY STRUCTURE.

ASA OTANI 3,621,668

Nov. 23, 1971 NOV. 23, 1971 AKEMASA OTAN! 3,621,663

RIBBED PILE Filed March 13. 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet Whg/SW INVENTOR WMM ATTO R NEYA/ NOV. 23, 1971 AKEMASA OTAN| 3,621,663

RIBBED PILE Filed March 13. 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY MMATTORNEYA/ United States Patent O 3,621,663 RIBBED PILE Akemasa Otani,4, 2-chome Asakusa Hashiba-cho, Daito-ku, Tokyo, Iapan Filed Mar. 13,1969, Ser. No. 806,918 Int. Cl. E02d 5/28 U.S. Cl. 61-53 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This low-cost, light-weight, high-strength,hollow cylindrical pile having longitudinal ribs is manufactured byrolling an elongated metal plate of predetermined width so as to producespaced ridges thereon extending at a predetermined angle between lateraledges. The ridged metal plate is spirally wound so that the ridgesregister to produce longitudinally-extending ribs and the juxtaposedlateral edges are joined, preferably by welding, to form a continuousspiraled joint. When driven into a penetrable medium, the ribs providedirectional control and means for joining adjacent piles into a unitarystructure.

This invention relates to a novel ribbed pile of generally cylindricalconfiguration, and a novel method of manufacturing the same. Morespecifically, it relates to a spirally-wound, hollow, ribbed pile and amethod of manufacturing the same from at metal plates.

While the following description is specifically directed to steel piles,the invention is not necessarily limited to steel. Other suitable metalswhich can be mechanically worked economically, such as nickel, aluminum,copper, lead and various alloys, including chromium and nickelcontainingferrous alloys, and equivalents, may also be used, as those skilled inthe metalworking art will recognize in the light of the presentdisclosure.

Steel tub-ing piles are driven into the earth to form a foundation, andtherefore it is required that they be driven straight down. However,conventional spiral steel tubing piles, since they have beenmanufactured simply by spirally winding flat and plain steel strip andwelding the adjacent edges thereof, are prevented frequently from beingstraight driven due to irregular earth pressure resistances, unevendriving, etc. Another disadvantage of such conventional spiral tubingpiles is that they are deformed so as to be uneven in their resistanceto pressure. Accordingly, wall thickness must be substantial, thusincreasing material costs, manufacturing costs and weight.

To provide a spiral steel tubing pile wherein such disadvantages asabove are eliminated, an object of the invention is to construct astrong spiral tubing wherein a plurality of radially projecting ridgesor ribs are provided at regularly spaced apart positions about theperiphery of steel tubing along the generatrices thereof, and tomanufacture a pile therefrom in an easy, inexpensive and exact manner.The ribs are preferably disposed on the exterior surface of the tubingbut may, alternatively or in addition, |be disposed on the inner orinterior surface.

In the spiral steel tubing pile according to the invention, theplurality of ribs extending along the generatrices serve as guidingmeans during the driving into the earth, so that the pile is alwaysdriven straight down and has no tendency to be deflected. Further, thepile is extremely rigid and strong by Ivirtue of these ribs acting asreinforcing means, so that any torsional moment on such pile may beavoided even when subjected to irregular, uneven external forces. Thus,the pile according to the invention can be made from thinner sheet stockand will still he strong so as to maintain its normal configuration.

Moreover, the ribs are utilized as guiding means when 3,621,663 PatentedNov. 23, 1971 ICC a plurality of piles are driven in juxtaposed relationby engaging a rib of one of said piles with that of an adjacent one, andare also employed as means whereby adjacent piles may be weldedtogether. Further, the pile of this invention can be easily and exactlymanufactured by rolling the flat plates with a grooved roll.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of a specic embodiment thereof, said descriptionbeing read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. -l is a perspective view of a spiral steel tubing pile of thepresent invention, sectioned at the center to show additional detail;

FIG. Z is an enlarged sectional 'view on the line IAI in FIG. l;

FIG. 3-1 shows a ridged plate from which the tubing pile is produced byspirally winding the same;

FIG. 3-l`I is an enlarged sectional view on the line '1I-II in FIG.3-'1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the tubing pile in a bent condition;

FIG. 5 is a plan View showing a plurality of the steel tubings of thepresent invention adjacently driven into position to form a pile wall;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a roll apparatus illustrating themanufacture of ridged steel strip for the spiral steel tubing of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line III-III in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIGS. 3-I and 3-Il, a length of steel plate strip 1 ofsuitable constant width is provided on its outer surface 2 with aplurality of ridges or ribs 4 extending at a suitable inclination anglea to the opposite edges 3, 3 thereof and parallel with each other withregular pitch spacings 5 therebetween. According to said inclinationangle, the length of ridged steel plate strip '1' is spirally wound,with the ridges being preferably disposed on the outside tol form acylindrical tubing. After the formation of cylindrical tubing, adjacentsections of the ridged steel plate strip 1 are welded together in suchmanner that the ridges on said adjacent sections will be continuous instraight lines, thereby providing a ribbed spiral steel tubing 6.

This spiral tubing is optionally driven into the earth as a foundationpile. Since the spiral tubing foundation pile is so strong and tough, itcan be bent into U-shape as shown in FIG. 4 without any crack orfracture at the bent portion. Such bent pile may be advantageouslyutilized as a sort of sheet pile.

FIG. 5 shows the present piles driven in juxtaposed relation. In thiscase, the ribs are utilized as guide means as well as welding means.

The elongate ridged steel plate strip can be easily and positivelyproduced in continuous manner by a rolling machine. As shown in FIGS. 6and 7, a roll 7 is provided with inclined or spiral grooves 8 on itsouter peripheral surface, said grooves corresponding in their depth andpitch angle to the height and inclination angle a of ridges 4 which areto be formed on the elongate steel plate strip 1.

The flat steel plate strip is forced into the nip between said roll 7and opposed roll 10 in the direction shown by arrow 9 in FIG. 7, and ispressed and rolled, whereby the ridged steel plate strip 1 may bereadily produced. Rolls 1v1 and '12 are backup or supporting rolls forrolls 7 and 10, respectively. In this operation, thickness reduction ismad from d in the plate 1 to d in the plate 1. By forming the section ofeach ridge 4 in trapezoidal shape and making the root portions thereofwith curved surfaces 4', stress cracks or the like during the rollingcan be eliminated. As described above, the ridged steel plate strip thusproduced is then wound spirally and welded at the adjacent edges thereofto thereby obtain a ribbed spiral steel tubing.

-From the above description it is apparent that the objects of thepresent invention have been achieved. While only one embodiment has beenillustrated, many alternative modifications will be apparent from theabove description to those skilled in the art. These and otheralternatives are considered within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention, and coverage thereof is intended by this application.

What is claimed is:

1. A metallic cylindrical tubing pile having a plurality oflongitudinally-continuous, spaced, upstanding ribs on at least onesurface thereof, said ribs extending in straight lines parallel to theaxis of the pile, said pile comprising a spirally disposed strip ofmetal of predetermined constant width and juxtaposed aligned lateraledges, said strip having a plurality of integral ridges of predeterminedheight, said ridges extending between the lateral edges of the strip andbeing angularly disposed relative to the lateral 20 edges so as to formwith registering ridges said `longitudinally-continuous, spaced,upstanding ribs extending in straight lines parallel to the axis of thepile, the juxtaposed References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,674,8574/1954 Fortes 61--45 R X 1,519,694 12/1924 Muessman 138--150 2,151,8473/1939 Greulich 61-53 3,380,147 4/1968 McDonald 29-477.3 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 241,029 10/ 1925 Great yBritain 52-737 DAVID I.WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner D. H. CORBIN, Assistant Examiner

